Iranian’s kin cry foul

March 12, 2007 9:00am

Relatives of a missing Iranian former deputy defense minister accused Israel
and the United States of abducting him. Ali Reza Asgari was revealed this month
to have disappeared during a recent visit to Turkey, prompting a slew of media
reports that he had defected to the West with his family.

But Iranian state
radio on Monday broadcast interviews with Asgari’s wife and daughter denying the reports. “Personally I am
sure that Iran’s main enemies, America and Israel, have kidnapped my father,”
said Asgari’s daughter, Elham. “As a loyal servant of the revolution, my father
had many enemies.”

Asgari’s wife, Ziba, said: “He would have taken us if he
wanted to defect.”